


The Believers

by Cornerofmadness



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-25
Updated: 2012-09-25
Packaged: 2017-11-15 00:19:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/521043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cornerofmadness/pseuds/Cornerofmadness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just whose idea was it to stay at the haunted hotel?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Believers

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer - Fullmetal Alchemist belongs to Hiromu Arakawa, not me. I'm just having some nonprofit fun
> 
>  
> 
> Timeline - manga based, assuming the Warehouse Thirteen Omake is canon, let's assume it's before the action in #39. Contains no spoilers
> 
> Author's Note #1 - This was written for the Spook Me Multi-Fandom Ficathon. My prompts I could chose from were Alien, Tentacle Monster, and/or alone in the dark and I'll confess to playing a little fast and loose with them. Oddly enough my Halloween fic turned out more darkly humorous than scary.
> 
> Author's Note #2 - I had the bunny for this ever since I saw Waverly Hall Sanitorium in Louisville KY and knew I had to set a Halloween story there, so this is a little tongue in cheek. Thanks to evillittledog for the beta. If you want to check out the ghosts of Waverly for yourself head you can google it.

XXX

"This is ridiculous," Ed grumbled, slumping on his hotel bed. Its metal frame rattled ominously He glared hotly at Riza and Roy who stood near the door then over at Winry and Granny Pinako who sat on the second bed in the room; a room far too feminine for Ed's taste with pink walls and flowery paper as wainscotting. "There was no need to meet me and Al here."

"My men and myself came west to investigate a Scar sighting," Roy replied, leaning against the door jamb. He seemed more interested in a stray stitch in his array glove than in Edward.

"And Al told us you lost your foot, Edward, when he called us. That's hardly nothing," Winry said, her arms crossed firmly in front of her. "It's not easy to make a foot in a hurry."

Ed turned his glare on his brother, hot enough to melt his armor. "I fixed it. Al didn't need to call you and get you out here at all."

"Winry, he's limping bad on that foot," Al said, giving the impression he was glaring from his spot in front of the window. "And he won't go to Rezembol."

"That's probably because he doesn't have all the wires hooked up properly. Automail is intricate," Winry said, looking like she wanted to take a wrench to Ed's head. "Reattaching it isn't like shaping swords from your arm, Edward Elric, which I'd kick you in the butt for doing if it wasn't something that saved your life!"

"You shouldn't argue with lovely ladies when they're here to help, Fullmetal," Roy put in, taking off his offending glove and tucking it in his pocket. Riza wrote something on her clipboard and Ed assumed it was a note to remind the bastard to darn his glove.

Winry whirled on Mustang, her hand clenching. "It's probably your fault that he's in this trouble in the first place."

Surprised at her vehemence, Roy looked to Pinako for help with her grandchild but the old woman just grinned. He turned back to the irate girl. "I didn't tell him to get his foot chewed off," Roy protested.

Ed stiffened at that, wanting Mustang to just his big trap.

"Chewed?" Winry's brow wrinkled as she whipped back around to face Ed, her long hair swinging with the motion.

"He's exaggerating, Winry," Al said, frantically waving his big hands. He knew Winry well enough to just as horrified as Ed by Mustang's blunt honesty. "It doesn't matter how it happened. Brother's fine. Granny and you are here to fix him up good as new and, Brother, it doesn't really matter that the colonel is in town after Scar. If he needs our help, that's okay and if he doesn't, you know he'll let us go on our way," he added, always the peacemaker.

Ed snorted but a knock at the door interrupted anything he might have to say. "Come in," he called.

Havoc peered in with Fuery right behind him. "Sorry, chief, I was just looking for the boss."

"Too bad you found him here," Ed grumbled, shooting another look at Mustang as if it was all his fault Gluttony almost had an automail meal.

"What's the matter, Havoc?" Mustang asked, ignoring Ed.

"There's something wrong with our room," Havoc said, lighting up his cigarette. Pinako seemed to take that as her cue and dug out her pipe.

"Wrong how, Lieutenant?" Roy asked disinterestedly, waving off the sudden burst of smoke.

"The water in the bathroom keeps turning itself off and on." Havoc rolled his cigarette from one corner of his mouth to the other.

"You should be happy you don't have a communal bath, Havoc," Riza said, rolling her eyes. She looked tired and disheveled from the long journey to track down Scar. "The plumbing is probably just old."

"This old place is scary. I heard voices in our room," Fuery said with a little shiver. He stuck closer to Havoc than Mustang deemed necessary. The boy might be an electronics whiz but he needed a little more backbone.

"You probably heard through the walls, Fuery," Mustang said wearily. "The Darlington is a very old building."

"Wasn't Darlington Hall a wet-lung sanatorium back before the cure?" Pinako asked casually, studying the walls' restive pink paint. The sweet smelling pipe smoke - a nice contrast to Havoc's bitter cigarette - swirled around her.

"What?" Fuery squeaked, his eyes darting about as if hardcase nurses were going to suddenly manifest with needles and start jabbing him.

"I believe you're right, Dr. Rockbell," Riza said, already weary of the men.

"Wasn't that fatal? Wet-lung?" Havoc's eyes were wide.

"Very," Mustang replied dryly. "Havoc, you were in the war. That was far worse than some old hospital turned hotel. This isn't a bad place to stay."

"Yeah, but I didn't camp in the morgue." Havoc shuddered.

"This place is haunted," Fuery proclaimed, his eyes spinning behind his thick lenses.

"Haunted?" Ed laughed, ignoring his brother's armor all but quaking as Al got caught up in the tale. Roy just rolled his eyes.

"Why not?" Fuery asked indignantly.

"Because ghosts don't exist," Ed volleyed back, shifting on the bed. He'd get up and shoo them out but then Winry and Granny would see the limp, though he wasn't sure how he'd avoid that now.

"Fullmetal is exactly right. Old plumbing and thin walls, that's your problem. Now if that's all you two wanted, I'm busy," Roy said, expertly ignoring Ed's incredulous look at the praise.

"But, sir, ghosts are real," Fuery protested, conviction bright in his eyes.

Roy held up a hand. Why was it his men could get stubborn over the silliest things? "Two words, Fuery. Warehouse. Thirteen."

"Warehouse Thirteen?" Al asked.

"Will never be spoken of again," Roy said, glaring at Havoc and Fuery. "Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Fuery and Havoc chorused while Riza snickered behind her hand. The two men slunk back towards their 'haunted' hotel room.

"That includes you as well, Hawkeye," Roy rumbled, stabbing a finger at her.

"Of course, sir." She gave him a sly look. "Did you ever recoup your money after that night?"

"I'm warning you, Hawkeye." The heat of Roy's gaze could have started one of his famous fires without a snap.

"Now I have to know," Ed said, his lips twisting into a hungry smirk. If Mustang didn't want him to know, then Ed simply had to find out.

"Would you like to be permanently assigned to the Briggs Mountains, Fullmetal? I'm not even sure they have a library and you'd be under the command of an Armstrong," Roy said and Ed huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Mr. Mustang, threatening Ed usually guarantees the opposite results," Winry warned, looking as frustrated with him as Riza had with Havoc and Fuery.

"My granddaughter has a point." Pinako grinned.

"Let's just say I had to babysit my troops because they thought the warehouse was haunted. It was not a shining moment." Roy wagged his head.

"Did you scream like a girl in the dark?" Ed grinned and Al hissed a warning at him.

"No, and Hawkeye, would you like to show Ed the error of his sexist remark?" Roy looked over at Riza with a smirk.

"No need," Riza replied as Winry slugged Ed who yelped then started sniping at her. One of their usual verbal battles erupted and their friends and family ignored it with practiced ease.

"So unless anyone else has a problem, I'm going to my room," Roy said, though he looked like he might want to watch Ed and Winry's squabble.

"I'm betting the hauntings continue tonight." An amused look danced over Riza's face.

"Well, at least I don't have to sleep in the same room as my quailing subordinates." Roy sighed.

"How do you rate a private room?" Ed moaned, looking put out by the very idea.

"For one, I'm the colonel. Keep in mind it's standard procedure to bunk the alchemists together. Do you really want me to toss Al out of his bed and stay with you boys?" Roy smirked.

"Don't even think about it," Ed grumbled, glaring at Roy.

"Who thinks that would be more frightening than ghosts?" Winry asked. Al nodded

enthusiastically and Pinako just smirked.

"No doubt," Riza murmured. "Come along, sir. Quit threatening Fullmetal. Besides, it's been a very long day already. We all could use some rest."

Roy pouted but he said his goodnights to the ladies and Al, gave another parting shot to Edward before heading for his room.

XXX

One advantage to the hotel being an old hospital was that two rooms shared a bathroom rather than some communal bath down the hall. It hadn't taken much to have Hawkeye assigned to the room that shared his bath; after all, she was his aide. He doubted he was fooling anyone other than Fuery and Fullmetal. Even Alphonse probably had a clue but Roy hoped that those closest to him could be trusted.

Roy peeled back the shower curtain and Riza glanced over her shoulder at him. "Didn't take you long," she said.

"Did you think it would?" Roy kissed her scarred shoulder blade. Those scars were his, his sins, his pertinence. Her pain was long over. The scab ripped off his wounds every time he saw her ruined tattoo.

Riza spun in his arms, pulling him under the warm spray. The old hotel's plumbing had some pressure behind it. It felt good. Her lips met his. "I was hoping not."

Her hand traveled down his belly but stopped just short of her slowly awakening prize when a loud noise echoed from the direction of Roy's bedroom.

"What the hell?" Roy growled, knowing that sound meant him leaving his hot shower and his beautiful lover.

"Sounds like someone desperately wants to see their colonel?" Riza grinned, running a teasing hand back up his chest.

"Son of a bitch." Roy got out of the shower and half heartedly toweled off. "If this is about ghosts, someone is getting demoted."

"I'll get the paperwork ready," Riza replied flippantly as he wrapped the towel around his slender waist.

Roy tromped to the door that someone was still banging on and threw it open. "What?" he snapped then flushed slightly. It wasn't just Fuery or Havoc outside. It was all his men plus Ed, Al and even Winry. Blushing a rosy pink, she whistled at him.

"Winry!" Ed snappedand Roy clutched his towel a little tighter.

"What?" She looked unapologetic.

"YOU NEVER WHISTLED AT ME BEFORE AND YOU'VE SEEN ME IN EVEN LESS CLOTHES!" he ranted then turned beet red. "I mean...damn." He looked liked wanted to fall through the floor. Roy was wondering how armor managed to look like it was rolling its eyes at its brother.

"Yes, thank you, Edward for that. What's going on?" Roy asked, unable to contain his smirk.

"Boss, there's a ghost in our rooms," Havoc said, his hand shaking as it went for his lighter.

"Do I need to get Hawkeye out of bed to fill out the demotion paperwork?" Roy asked and his men all pouted like a pack of schoolboys.

"Why don't you go put on pants instead," Ed grumbled, stepping between Winry's line of vision and the Colonel. "Or do you enjoy being lewd?" He scowled when Winry peeked around him.

"I was in the shower when you disturbed me with this nonsense. I didn't think you even believed in ghosts, Fullmetal," Roy replied, arching an eyebrow at Ed.

"I don't. They got me out of bed, too," Ed sneered, hooking a thumb at Havoc and Fuery.

"Well, the lights kept flickering in our room, Brother," Al said, sounding a little frightened.

"That doesn't mean it's a ghost. You're as bad as Fuery and Havoc," Ed scolded and Al's helmet seemed to droop.

"There was a ghost," Fuery insisted. "We saw red eyes staring out of the shadows in the bathroom."

Havoc nodded enthusiastically, the tip of his cigarette cutting a bright arc in the dim hallway. "And there was nothing there when we went to look."

"Probably a reflection in the mirror of something in your room," Roy said. Frustrated with them Roy crossed his arms over his chest nearly losing his towel. He grabbed it frantically, cursing himself for forgetting that was all that was between him and a free show.

"I'd swear there was a shadowy form at the end of the bed, sir," Falman put in.

Roy scowled. Falman and Breda were far more levelheaded than Fuery and Havoc. "Was this before or after Fuery and Havoc started seeing eyes?"

"Uh, after." Breda blushed a bit with that confession.

Riza poked her head out of her room. "Why are you out in the hall keeping everyone awake?"

"They've seen more ghosts," Roy sighed. "Listen, everyone under my command had best be in his bed in five minute or I will serious put a reprimand in his file."

"But the ghost..." Fuery protested, quaking.

"What could a ghost do to you, Fuery, provided they actually existed? By definition they're incorporeal," Roy pointed out then turned to Winry. "Miss Rockbell, I hope they haven't frightened you with all this ghost talk."

"No, sir," she said, sounding unconvincing about not being afraid. "I heard the commotion when they woke up Ed but my room seems okay. Granny's managed to sleep through all the noise."

Roy suspected Winry just didn't want to miss the show, which was shaping up to be more entertaining than many of the theater productions he had seen lately. "Well, that's good. Go to sleep, all of you, before the ghosts are the least of your worries." Roy tapped his fingers together for emphasis.

His men retreated grumbling. Ed just glared. "Next time put on pants first, Colonel Shit."

"Why, afraid you can't measure up?" Roy smirked enduring Riza's glare as Al snagged Ed under his armpits and hauled his brother off, squalling all the way. Roy snickered, went into his room, locked his door then found he was stuck showering alone. Someone was getting ditch digging duty when they got home for this.

XXX

Roy lay back on the pillow, pushing his sweat slicked bangs back out of his eyes. He grinned over at Hawkeye. He'd need another shower but it was worth it. "Do you know how beautiful you are?" he whispered.

She smiled, tracing his lips with a finger. "You tell me often enough."

"Not nearly often enough," he corrected, shifting on the bed. "I should tell you every day."

"If you had your way, you'd send me flowers and candy every day then I'd be fat as a house and living with a jungle." She laughed softly.

"You need more romance in your soul, Riza." Roy caressed her breast. He moved in for another kiss when someone knocked on the door. He sagged against her. "Now what?"

"It's been an hour since the last ghost sighting," she whispered and swung out of bed, retreating into the bathroom.

Bitching under his breath, Roy got up, stuffed himself into his pants, sans underwear, and padded to the door barefoot. "What?" He snarled, throwing open the door. To his surprise, Alphonse stood there.

"I'm sorry to wake you, sir, but I couldn't tell Brother," Al said, sounding very nervous as he shifted from foot to foot.

Roy stepped into the hallway and shut the door. Al was very perceptive and he didn't want the boy wondering about the messed up bed. "Did my men scare you with their ghost stories, Alphonse?" he asked gently. It was too easy to forget Al was just a kid.

Al managed to look embarrassed. "I can't sleep...not because of ghosts. I never sleep so sometimes I go for walks, especially if Brother is snoring the paint off the walls like tonight."

"Did you want someone to talk to?" Roy was a little puzzled by the visit

"No, I'm used to being alone at night." Al's voice was far more haunted than the hotel, Roy thought. "I thought I heard a kid playing in the hall and went to check because he shouldn't be out this late at night but I couldn't find him. Then I heard more laughter and the sound of a ball bouncing. It went down there." He pointed to the stair well toward the basement. "But...it's dark and scary down there."

Roy smiled a little. "Alphonse, you've faced scarier things than a basement. You know, there is no such thing as a ghost."

Al's armor shook, clattering like wind chimes. "You're just like Brother, convinced you know everything and you won't even listen to anyone."

Roy's eyes widened. He wasn't used to mild mannered Al getting angry. He held up his hands. "I'm sorry, "Alphonse. If you said you thought something went into the basement, we should investigate."

Al managed to make metal look like it was relaxing. "Thank you, sir."

A door creaked opened and Havoc peered out, gun in hand. He was wide-eyed, his hair sticking up at all angles. "Sir?"

"Planning to shoot a ghost, Havoc?" Roy chuckled.

"It was in our room again, the eyes," Havoc's voice sounded tight with stress.

"Do I have to check under the bed like your mother?" Roy asked, an impatient look flashing in his eyes.

Havoc's blue eyes lit up. "Would you?"

Roy glowered and pointed. "No. Go to bed and try not to shoot Fuery by accident."

"Boss." Havoc looked completely distressed.

"Al believes in ghosts. Maybe he'd be willing to look," Roy suggested, looking back at Al.

Al's helmet swivelled frantically. "Oh no, sir!"

"Sorry, Havoc. You're out of luck," Roy said with a shrug. "Come on, Alphonse. We can go check out your problem."

"Thank you, sir."

"But, Boss," Havoc whined, lighting up.

"Havoc, you're a trained soldier. Handle it yourself. Consider it a chance to prove your mettle," Roy offered, putting a hand on the smooth metal of Al's back, guiding him down the hall towards the basement.

Al gave Havoc an apologetic shrug as he followed Roy. "I appreciate you doing this, sir. I know you don't believe me but I know what I heard."

"It's no problem, Alphonse," Roy said, trying not to think about the beautiful woman he had left to be here. He could see the distress in the young man and felt the need to help more so than he did for grown men who were soldiers. "Alphonse, a lot of nights I don't sleep much either. If you're out walking and see a light on at my place, I wouldn't mind company."

Al waved his hand. "I couldn't impose, sir."

"You wouldn't be. You'd be saving me from my dark thoughts. Granted, Shortmetal would probably have a fit if you hung out with me." Roy rolled his shoulders, looking down the stairs. Maybe it was all the talk about ghosts - not that he believed it - but suddenly Roy didn't want to go down the stairs into the dark basement.

"Brother doesn't always know best. He just thinks he does," Al said, a weary note in his voice.

"He's trying to be brother, father, mother to you, Alphonse. It takes a toll." Roy shot the boy a sympathetic look.

"What are you doing?" Ed's voice boomed down the hallway. Al and Roy turned to see Ed outside his brother's room.

"Fullmetal, people are trying to sleep," Roy said, waving for him to shut up. "Alphonse asked me to help him."

"In the basement?" Ed hobbled down the hall on his broken foot.

"Al heard something." Roy shrugged.

Ed's nose wrinkled and he slung back his loose hair. "Al's imagination runs away from him."

"It didn't hurt to go look," Roy said.

Al put a hand on Roy's shoulder. "It's okay, sir. You can go back to bed. Brother can help me."

Roy's eyes narrowed. He knew Ed wouldn't go into the basement but if he interfered there'd be a fight he didn't want to deal with. "If you need me, you know where I'm at." Roy found his bed empty so he hunted Riza down. A ghost had best knock him from his bed if anyone planned to pry him from it again tonight.

XXX

"How's the work going?" Roy asked as he, Riza and Havoc popped into Ed's bedroom. He looked down at the place normally occupied by a leg.

Ed curled his living leg over the docking port on his thigh, protectively. "Shouldn't you be out there making yourself a target for Scar?" He ignored Al's hissed warning to watch his mouth. Winry and Granny didn't even look up from their work.

"It's looking like if Scar was ever here, he's long gone," Riza said, tucking a lock of her hair back up.

"I don't know of any targets for him in this area in the first place," Roy put in, a weariness creeping into his eyes.

"Then why did you come? Want a vacation?" Ed sniped and was surprised to see a faint blush paint itself on Roy's face.

"Mr. Havoc, you look really tired," Al said and Havoc lifted his drooping head to smile faintly at the boy.

"Did the ghost haunt you all night?" Ed snickered.

"Yes." Havoc glared at Roy as if it was his fault.

"I can't believe Al almost talked you into it, too, bastard." Ed rolled his eyes at Roy.

"Did you put your brother at ease or did you just ignore him?" There was nothing joking about Roy's tone and Ed flushed, embarrassed.

"Ignore him," Winry said, screwing Ed's new foot to his detached leg. "Ed's not a believer, hence, neither is Al."

"That's not true," Ed pouted, shifting on the bed uncomfortably. He shot an apologetic look to Al.

"I'm sure it is," Roy said. "We'll stay one more day to look into Scar's whereabouts. Miss Rockbell, how long before Ed's fixed?"

"Oh, just a few more minutes," Winry said, tightening a screw.

"Hmm, I'm sure he's less trouble this way, all immobile," Roy said and Riza cleared her throat loudly. Pinako snickered.

"As soon as Winry connects that foot, I'm going to kick your ass," Ed growled, thumping his stump on the mattress angrily.

"You will do no such thing." Winry brandished her wrench. "You're not wrecking my handiwork."

"Don't worry, Miss Rockbell. If Edward tried, he'd end up in the stockade so he's not like to do it," Roy said, his demeanor lightening

"I'm more afraid of her than I am of you," Ed huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Roy snorted. "I have no doubt of that and it's a wise choice. Women have an uncanny knack of knowing our weaknesses and using that to their advantage."

"Which I'm likely to start doing, sir." Riza's brown eyes flashed with an inner light that could singe.

Roy flinched. "Well, if you need me, I'll be in my room. We shouldn't distract the Rockbells while they're working."

"There's an idea you should mind, Edward," Granny said wryly, looking up from supervising her granddaughter's work, and he scowled at her. "Okay, just about ready to reattach your leg, bean."

Instead of his usual outburst, Ed's eyes met Roy's then fell. Roy could see that Ed didn't want him to witness this, that he was somehow embarrassed because of how his body was now. Just then thunder cracked. Havoc jumped. Al rattled.

"Havoc, will you relax before someone accidentally gets shot," Roy said, giving his lieutenant a look. He could see just how tense Havoc was. He would need help to unwind. "Go get the others and meet me down at the corner pub. I'll buy a round or two. You all need to unwind." Roy herded Havoc toward the door.

"Because them drunk and afraid of ghosts is less dangerous than them sober." Riza rolled her eyes as Roy sailed off down the hall. "Dr. Rockbell, if you want to brave the rain, you're more than welcome to join us."

"Thanks, after an afternoon with the shrimp, a good whiskey is in order." Pinako grinned, jerking a thumb at Ed.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT YOU CAN'T FIND HIM RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU?" Ed bellowed, heaving up on his one leg.

"You," Pinako said, thumping his leg lightly with a screwdriver and Ed flopped back in a melodramatic heap.

"I see your point. One day we ought to exchange our ill-tempered alchemic brats just to see what happens," Riza said, wearily.

"That would require more whiskey," Pinako replied and Ed glowered at her. Winry tried to smother a giggle. Al just wagged his head.

Riza snorted. "Probably so."

XXX

Roy knew Riza wasn't a fan of his taking everyone out but she relaxed a little when he cut them off after only a few rounds. Roy, himself, had only snuck in a few more until he was loose and deeply relaxed. Riza seemed to be in a forgiving mood judging by how she pinned him to the mattress when they got back to the hotel. Now, in the afterglow, Roy was content to study her and listen to the rain pouring down outside.

"You look like you're in deep thought." Riza caressed his lip with one calloused finger.

"Just indulging in my favorite fantasy," he replied, kissing that finger.

"The one were we change our identities, quit the service and go live out our lived quietly in some small village somewhere?" She smiled, running her hand through his raven hair.

"That's the one."

Riza kissed him, her hand, stroking him low under the cover. "I like that one myself."

Roy folded her in his arms, ignoring the thunder and lightning raging outside, fairly sure he could get a second wind quickly tonight. Roy spent a moment worshiping Riza's chest. Roy jerked his head up when someone pounded on the door. Riza covered his mouth while he swore. Roy struggled out of bed, barely able to find his pants in the dark. He was going to throttle whoever was outside his door. He yanked it open. "Falman, what is it?"

"You'd better come see, sir," Falman said, his face a little pale.

"Havoc didn't actually shoot anyone, did he?" Roy asked, wondering if thunder has masked the report of a gun.

"Not yet, sir," Falman replied, leading the way. All the lights were on in Falman's room, the bathroom and in Fuery and Havoc's room, just beyond it. The rest of his men were huddled up in Havoc's room. The sheets to one bed had been pulled off onto the floor and his men were all white-faced, honestly afraid.

Roy felt sorry for them. "What's wrong?" he asked, not in any mood to tease them.

"The ghosts," Breda replied.

Roy pinched the bridge of his nose, struggling against his own strong beliefs on the topic. "Now what?"

"It pulled the sheets right off my bed." Havoc pointed to the mass of bedding, his hand shaking

"And it picked up my bed and shook it," Fuery added, trembling.

Roy glanced over at Bred and Falman. "This had best not be a practical joke."

"No, sir," Falman assured him, a hint of fear hanging around his eyes.

"We did hear something that sounded like furniture being moved just before Kain cried out. No one left the room past us," Breda replied, looking even more uneasy than he did on days Riza brought Hayate to work.

Roy rubbed his chin. He certainly didn't believe a ghost had been loose in Havoc and Fuery's room but they obviously did. "We're only going to be here one more night so make the best of it. Havoc, remake your bed. Fuery, do you have a camera in your equipment?"

"Yes, sir." Fuery shot him a puzzled look.

"Get it. Try to take a photo of the ghost. I've heard they don't like that," Roy said, thinking fast. He needed to settle his men but he didn't want to be at it all night.

"Are you humoring us, boss?" Havoc scooped up the bedding.

"Not at all. I heard that's why there is no photographic evidence of ghosts," Roy lied smoothly. "Falman, Breda, is there a ghost in your room, too?"

"No, sir," Falman said, seeming very happy with that.

"Then you two get some rest," Roy said, going for the door. "Anything else you need from me? And keep in mind me sitting here with you isn't an option." At the group head shake, Roy went into the hallway only to see Al and Winry skulking about. "Now what?" he asked.

"I heard the kid in the hallway again," Al said, putting a hand on Winry's shoulder. "We're checking it out."

"You mean until Ed stops you." Roy pointed over Winry's shoulder.

Wearing nothing but his boxers, Ed stood in the doorway of his room. "Not again, Al!"

Al's shoulders drooped. "But, Brother."

A particularly loud crack of thunder seemed to shake the hotel. The lights flickered then died. Roy heard a distressed yelp behind him and Havoc's head poked out the door.

"It's the electricity, not ghosts. We've all been in storms before," Roy said sourly, fast losing his patience.

"Not in haunted hotels," Havoc replied in a tone that suggested Roy was slow not to see that important distinction.

Roy ran a hand through his hair, seeing Riza and Pinako making appearances as well. He made a decision. "Havoc, get me a flashlight. Fullmetal and I will check the whole hotel just to prove there are no dangers, okay?"

"We will?" Ed asked incredulously as the power came back on.

"Put your pants on, Ed, and some shoes," Roy said, stabbing a finger at the young alchemist who curled his lip in response.

"Is Hawkeye staying with us?" Fuery asked hopefully, peering around Havoc.

"I'd better back up the Colonel, just in case," she said, choosing the lesser of two evils.

Roy could see Riza was biting her lip as she went back into her room. He took the flashlight from Havoc then went to pull on his boots and a shirt. Everyone was waiting for him in the hall, dressed for a ghost hunt. Roy gestured for Ed to follow him. "Alphonse, Miss Rockbell, you don't have to come."

"But I want to see a ghost," Winry said, her eyes lit up with the possibility of adventure. "And you can call me Winry, sir."

"All right then, Winry, we'll start in the basement. That's where you said you heard it last night, right, Alphonse?" Roy put a hand on Al's metal arm.

Al nodded, "Yes, sir."

Roy started down the steps.

"This is just stupid," Ed snarled as they headed into the basement.

"Just because you don't believe in ghosts doesn't make this stupid, Edward. You and I could be wrong about this, you know," Roy said, remembering Al's words from the night before.

Ed scowled. "You don't believe that."

"No, but I wouldn't say they're stupid either." Roy noticed Riza's gaze cutting his way with an expression that said she didn't buy into it. She was right. If it wasn't for Al, Roy knew he'd be just as obnoxious as Ed was being about the subject.

"Where do you think the ghost went, Al?" Winry asked. Ed put on a mask of disdain about the whole proceeding but he held his tongue.

"I'm not sure, Winry. I heard the ball bouncing down the stairs." Al surveyed the dark basement then pointed into the gloomy recesses of the subterranean room. "Let's try there."

The basement wasn't kept in the good condition the rest of the hotel was. The lighting was poor. Mildewed paint peeled from the ceiling and walls while plaster flaked littered the floor.

"It feels...bad down here," Winry said, scooting closer to Ed who rolled his eyes. Roy just shook his head at the boy's foolishness.

"Oppressive," Riza supplied and Roy's head snapped around. His lover didn't actually believe in ghosts, did she? Raised by an alchemist, Roy expected more sensibility from her.

Winry jumped, her head snapping back and forth. "What was that noise?"

"Your imagination running away from you and slamming into a wall," Ed said sourly and Winry clocked him.

"Brother, be nice. You shouldn't have come if you didn't want to help," Al said, his armor quivering.

"I was ordered to," Ed reminded him, rubbing his head.

"Because even if you think it's stupid, sometimes calming the troops is more important than your beliefs," Roy said, trying for his 'wisest' tone.

"Warehouse thirteen," Ed guessed and Roy scowled at the reminder of that night.

"Exactly. I didn't hear anything, Winry. Where do you think you heard it?" Roy asked.

"Back there." Winry squinted into the gloom. "What is that?" She gestured to something in the shadows.

Before they could go investigate, thunder cracked and the power went out. This time it didn't come back.

"Can we go back to bed now?" Ed whined, turning back.

"I have a flashlight." Roy turned it on and it cut a weak beam through the darkness. Ed sighed and did another about face. "Alphonse, you and Winry want to lead the way since you heard it?"

Al crept forward and stopped when the light beam picked up a large chute that pierced upwards and down to some destination they couldn't see. Rickety steps followed the chute, clinging close to the wall. "What is this for?"

"Body chute would be my guess," Roy said with a shrug.

"Body chute?" Al's voice cracked as he nearly backed over Winry.

"So many people died in sanatoriums like this on a daily basis they didn't want to depress the other patients so they dumped the bodies down the chute and outside the facility to waiting hearses," Riza explained.

"Eww," Winry made a face as the flashlight died.

"Now can I go back to bed?" Ed sounded hopeful.

"You know what your trouble is, Fullmetal?" Roy asked, shaking the flashlight as if that would help. "No one put a foot in your ass growing up."

"Not like Granny didn't try," Winry said wryly.

"Not like an ass-kicking helped you any, Colonel Shit," Ed shot back and Riza snickered.

"Damn, I'm not sure I remember the array to refresh the chemicals in a battery," Roy said, ignoring Ed's slight.

Ed snatched the flashlight from him. "Why bother? Afraid of the dark, sissy?"

"Alone in the dark with you isn't my idea of a good time," Roy snorted. "Darkness is usually fun in circumstances like this."

Ed cocked his head to the side. "What are you blathering about?"

"Alone in the dark, a lovely lady at your side, a haunted house, it's romantic," Roy explained, as if he were an older brother instructing a younger one in the ways of love.

"Have you been reading the books I keep in my desk, sir?" Riza asked, a hint of amusement in her tone.

"I don't get it? Lovely ladies?" Ed said and Winry shoved him hard and he toppled into the body chute. Ed squawked, clinging to the side with his metal hand, the flashlight death-gripped in the other. Winry stalked off.

"Oh, Brother," Al huffed, exasperated.

"No, Edward, you don't get it and you won't get any until you do," Roy said as Ed clambered out so fast it seemed like he expected a dead body to come sliding by.

Winry shrieked from the shadows. The brothers called her name in unison, taking off after her.

"What happened?" Al asked, reaching her side.

"Something touched my face," she said, brushing at her face.

"Probably a spider web," Ed said and Winry shuddered violently.

"You have the flashlight, Edward," Riza reminded him.

"Oh, yeah." Ed tucked it under his arm, clapped and tried to refresh the chemicals inside the batteries. The renewed beam cut through the darkness weakly. "See, Winry, a web."

"Is there a spider on me?" she asked tightly. Riza helped her check but no eight-legged menace showed itself.

"Alphonse, I don't see any signs of a kid down here or anything remotely haunted," Roy said, wanting to wrap this up before the kids could get carried away by the spooky atmosphere.

"You don't count the body chute as possibly being haunted?" the boy asked.

"Sorry, let me rephrase. I don't see any hauntings manifesting near the chute at the moment. Shall we check the rest of the hotel?" Roy hoped he didn't sound too patronizing.

Al's tassel swung as he nodded. "I guess that would be okay."

They slowly made their way through the darkened hotel. They saw nothing. The only thing that happened out of the ordinary were the sounds of doors opening and closing where none were seen moving and Riza accusing the men on pushing her from behind even though they both denied it. When they got to the top floor, a strange hallway of glass doors that opened onto the flat roof, Winry froze.

"I don't like this place." She backed up against Alphonse.

Ed turned to her, a caustic comment dying on his tongue when he saw her face. "What's wrong, Winry?"

"What was this?" She gestured at the hall. "Just being here makes me feel like crying." She clung to Ed who had the good sense to put an arm around her. He looked anxious, not used to seeing her rattled.

"I think this is where they would wheel the patients outside to get fresh air any time of the year because they thought it would help with their lung infection," Riza said, studying the multiple glass doors.

"How do you know so much about this, Miss Hawkeye?" Al asked, curiously.

"My father used to help out with his alchemy at a place like this back home," she replied, rubbing her arms, her body tense.

"And sadly it's what killed him," Roy said, remembering his mentor choking on his own blood from wet-lung. He caressed Riza's neck quickly. "Riza, you and Winry can stay here while Al, Ed and I check out this last corridor."

"I'm fine," Riza assured him, sounding put out that he would even consider that she might not be.

"You're not leaving me behind." Winry let go of Ed and grabbed Riza's hand.

Roy and Ed went down the corridor first. Like the basement, this hallway was in bad condition, obviously unused. The lightning flickering outside all the glass doors was tailor made for the spooky atmosphere. Roy felt his skin crawling. Behind him, Winry cried out and Al jumped, his armor clanking.

Roy and Ed nearly crashed into each other as they whirled around. "What?" Ed asked.

"A shadow tore off the wall and flew out the glass door just as you two walked past," Al said, his hand tracing the shadow's arc.

"What?" Roy looked out the door, not sure what he was looking for.

"Probably a trick of light from all the lightning," Ed said uneasily. He backed away from the nearest door.

"Riza, what did you see?" Roy asked.

"I...what Al just said," she replied, walking over to Roy, dragging Winry behind her.

Winry reattached herself to Ed. Roy wished he could put an arm around Riza but didn't dare.

"Maybe we should go back to our rooms." Al held up his hand, his helmet cocking to the side. "Hear that? That's the child laughing."

"I don't hear anything," Ed said but he sounded unconvinced as he cradled Winry close. She tucked into him.

"Is that a bouncing ball?" She peered over Ed's shoulder, seeing nothing. "I've changed my mind. I don't want to see a ghost."

"That sound is probably coming from downstairs," Ed said, looking as jittery as Winry.

"Al had a good idea. I think we all should just try to get some rest. Let's go back down to our rooms," Roy said, steering them back to the staircase. This was getting out of hand.

Between Winry and Al, Ed was practically jogged down the stairs. Roy and Riza followed only slightly more sedately. Twice, Roy thought he did hear a bouncing ball, such was the power of suggestion.

Roy was relieved to see his men weren't out in the hall doing anything weird when they got back to their rooms but he doubted they were asleep. There would be a lot of sleepy, grumpy soldiers on the train tomorrow.

"Thank you," Al said, his big hand on the door to his room. "For looking for the ghost with me, even if you don't believe in them."

"I'm almost disappointed we didn't see one." Roy smiled at Al, a little more bravely than he felt. The top floor had unnerved him just a bit.

"I saw enough. I'm not sure I can sleep," Winry said, with a little shiver, looking pointedly at Ed.

"I'd better try. Tomorrow is a long day," Riza said and disappeared into her room.

"Ed, can I sit up with you and Al for a little while?" Winry asked, her blue eyes wide.

Ed had sense enough not to whine about losing sleep. He looked eager for the company. "Sure."

She smiled at Ed and followed Al inside.

Roy leaned in. "See what I mean about being alone in the dark," he whispered.

"Uh-huh," Ed muttered just as the lights came back on to reveal his huge eyes and a blush that went all the way to the tips of his ears.

"Don't worry, kid, even if your brother wasn't in the room, you'd still mess it up." Roy smirked. Roy patted Ed's shoulder.

Ed opened his mouth to hurl an insult at Roy but he said nothing as his eyes went even bigger. Roy whipped around to see what Ed was looking at. A little boy, ball in hand, waved at them with a laugh and ran straight through the wall. Roy slowly turned back to Ed. "I didn't see a thing."

"Nothing to see," Ed said then disappeared through the door.

Roy went into his room, not surprised to see Riza curled up on his bed. He kicked off his boots, stripped and slid under the covers with her, twining around Riza.

"You're awfully cuddly. Did the ghosts scare you?" She laughed, ruffling his hair.

"Don't be silly," he said, trying not to think on what he thought he saw. "How can I resist being close to you?"

Riza just held him tight, neither of them sleeping very much, a little too worked up for that.

XXX

Roy herded his bleary-eyed men to the lobby then let Riza take over, getting them ready to head for the train station. Pinako had similarly rounded up the teenagers.

"I'm telling you, we got pictures of the ghost in our room," Fuery was telling Al. "We should have given you a camera, too. You probably could have gotten a lot of ghost pictures."

"We could have," Al said, nodding.

Roy shook his head and turned his attention to the clerk, turning over their keys.

"I hope you had a good stay, sir," she said brightly. "And that the ghosts didn't give you too much trouble."

Roy exchanged glances with Ed then laughed. "Not at all. We don't believe in ghosts."

"Of course not," Ed said, sailing towards the door, hurrying his brother along.

"Dr. Rockbell, is it my imagination or did Fullmetal somehow coerce your granddaughter into staying all night in his room?" Roy asked slyly as they headed for the front door.

"Shut the hell up, bastard! It's none of your business!" Ed growled and the verbal cut and parry started its usual pattern.

Riza couldn't help notice the look in the alchemists' eyes before they fell into their arguments. Somehow she suspected there were two new believers in ghosts; ones who would probably die before admitting it. She would never have believed it if she hadn't seen it for herself.


End file.
